Fearless Survival
by Captain Newfie
Summary: After Harry struggle for the stone. Voldemort told him of the prophecy. Join Harry as he journeys down a new and unexpected path with the help of Vernon Dursley.
1. Chapter 1

Fearless Survival

"How is it a mere boy may look me in the eye without the slightest glimmer of fear within his own eyes? Hmmm, remarkable, like your mother and father but, so very different. They lived lives in the shadow of my presence, although when I came to kill you they had real terror within the depths of their eyes. They say that the eyes are the gateway to ones soul. Theirs were broken, defeated, fearful souls. Your soul shows no fear; you are of a superior stock despite your lineage and weak parents. Join me now, or join them in death."

"I would never join a murderer, I would rather die. You can't do anything anyways. You are just a shadow. Shadows can't hurt you."

"A normal shadow perhaps, but me I am quite different. I am the shadow of the greatest sorcerer that ever lived, I defy even death. That is why you will lose our struggle."

"You're a liar."

"Yes about a great many things, but I will kill you Harry Potter, it is our destiny after all."

"We have no destiny, I am alive and you are a shade of yourself never to return to your body."

"Oh but I will Harry, and then you die as is foretold. I can tell by the look on your face the old fool has told you nothing of your fate. Allow me to enlighten you Mr. Potter. There is a prophecy between you and I. Neither may live while the other survives. Do keep it mind. I will be back for you when I return to my body make no mistake. Perhaps next year or many down the path, but I will kill you. You cannot hope to defeat I have power, age, and experience on my side. You have nothing. I will kill you."

Harry Potter of number four Privet Drive awakes from his nightmare with an ear splitting scream wretched from the depths of vocal cords. The memories of Lord Voldemort at the end of the previous school year has pulled such a desperate sound from his mouth that he knows there will be blood as there is every other night through the month of July.

"Damnit Hedwig. The Dursleys will be angry about this again."

Sure enough the room shakes as Vernon Dursley stomps down the hall to his room, with his not so inconsiderable mass, roused from his sleep and angry he slams the door into the opposing wall.

"In the name of all that is holy and normal, what the hell is wrong with you boy? Your freakiness has never, never not once before woke me from my beauty sleep thirty god forsaken nights in a row. Now tell me what your bloody problem is?"

Looking back upon this night Harry was never able to say why he did it. He can't recall. Perhaps the combination of sleepless nights, too little food, the threat of Voldemort hanging above him, and concern for his sanity and vocal cords was what finally broke him. He wept and sobbed in front of his whale of an uncle in a manner he had done since the tender age of three when all it earned him was a week in the cupboard that use to serve as his room.

"Uncle I don't know what to do. He's going to win; he's going to kill me. I can't fight him he's too strong, too powerful. I'm going to die. It's all I dream about, all I think about. I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can't even bring myself to do my homework. What's the fucking point when he is going to kill me anyways?"

Like Harry, Vernon would never be able to say what made him do it, if you ever could get him to admit that he had indeed done it. He enveloped Harry in his first ever hug and felt enormous guilt when the boy tensed.

"Hush Harry calm down. Who is going to kill you?"

"The same man who murdered my parents. He isn't dead like he is supposed to be. I met him and he told me that neither one of can live while the other survives."

Vernon continued to hold Harry for the better part of an hour until he fell asleep. Then he laid him in the too small and shabby bed and returned to his own room to find his wife waiting for him.

"Pet dear why you are still awake?"

"You were gone for a long time, have you finally gotten rid of the boy? Like I wanted to when we got stuck with him?"

"No, I haven't and I won't. That madman you told me about is still out there. He wants to take another shot at Harry."

"Then we will throw him out on the street straight away I won't let danger near my precious Dudley."

"We will not."

"What Vernon! Of course we will he is a freak and threat to the safety of this family."

"He is a part of this family always was in my mind always will be. We've raised him wrong at your suggestion because of your hate for your own family. No more. I'm going to help him. He will go to martial arts class with Dudley, and a new bed that shabby thing you gave him is disgusting. Full meals too. Perhaps I will take him into London to see if his kind has anything to help him learn to defend this family. You don't realise it but a madman like that would kill us too for taking him in no matter the way we treated him."

"I will no..."

Vernon voice then for the first time ever rose against his wife. "ENOUGH, you don't have to help him if you don't want to. I will do it myself. I won't let anyone say that Vernon Dursley raised a coward that couldn't help himself and got killed by some bleeding nutter in a bathrobe."

"I'll take care of everything tomorrow you sleep and don't worry you're pretty little head about it."


	2. Chapter 2

Fearless Survival

When Harry awoke the following day his mind was consumed by the memory of a dream he had the previous night of a comforting Vernon Dursley. He decided he should best go and start breakfast for everyone and try to sneak off with a plateful if he was lucky. He quickly rose from his bed to take care of the morning niceties. Little did Harry Potter know that while he thought he had started what he believed to be another boring day in his life at number four, that this was indeed a turning point in his life.

"Harry quickly downstairs now are you ready for your day yet?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin with fright thinking to himself 'Oh no Vernon is already up and I don't have his breakfast waiting for him. Bloody hell I'm going to die.'

"Coming Uncle Vernon I'll have your breakfast ready straightaway. Sorry for sleeping in. What would you like to have to eat to begin your day Uncle?"

"I've taken care of breakfast today boy. Now eat quickly and come with me. We have much to do today. We have to make sure that you are ready for what's coming for you. Won't have a boy I raised getting beaten by a lunatic in a bathrobe."

Harrys' jaw if at all possible by some feat of magic, which when Harry thought back is probable, hit the floor. "What Uncle Vernon, are you sure some of the breakfast is for me? Where are we going? How do you know about Voldemort?"

"A single question at a time boy. None for now eat your fill, then during the drive to London we will talk."

"Yes Uncle Vernon."

"Hmmm, despite the way we have treated you thus far you still have manners, good. They will open doors for you that a rude man would never even know was there."

"Th thank you Uncle."

"Eat then come."

Harry ate the fastest he ever had, perhaps even drawing in near to a Weasely but not quite, he ate his fill as he was told the most he ever had eaten at once in number four. Bacon, eggs, toast, hash browns, it was truly his choice of food. Then he moved himself quickly back into the parlour to his uncle.

"Ready Uncle Vernon."

"That was quick. Did you eat enough?"

"Yes sir, thank you."

"Alright then, get a light jacket just in case and hop in the car."

Fifteen minutes later as they hitting the highway to continue to London. Harry thought to try again with the questions burning in his mind.

"Uncle may I ask questions now?"

'Thank god he broke his silence I was ready to fling myself out of the car.' Then outloud he replied "Remember one at a damn time boy."

"How do you know?"

"You told me all about last night when I confronted you about your bloody screaming fits every night."

"Oh, I thought that was a dream I had."

"Nope been keeping me from my sleep all week."

"Sorry."

"No need for that, you can't help it some nut has got in his mind that it is your fate to fight and to kill on another."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't rightly know myself, London I suppose. Then you will have to tell me how to bring you to wherever it is you need to go to get your things. You are to buy yourself things to protect this family, to learn how to fight your way, then you will join Dudley in the evenings at his martial arts gym and learn to fight our way. Maybe I'll even find some way to teach you how to use a gun and knife or something. Anything to win after all."

'Anything to win eh, I like that I can't believe he is going to help me learn to fight. I don't think I'd be able to do it on my own.' "Thank you very much Uncle."

"Just do your damn best to win."

"I will."

"Good."

'Back to the silence again damn boy. Oh well perhaps he will say more on the trip home'

After the unlikely pair arrived in London and somehow managed to find their way inside of a dingy little pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Harry then showed his Uncle the first magical sight he had ever truly believed. The arch way leading them into Diagon Alley.

"That was some freaky business boy, be careful with it."

"Yes sir."

"Now then this shops here do they take mastercard?"

Harry couldn't help himself he actually laughed at his uncle.

"No Uncle they take wizard money."

"We don't have any wizard money boy how are we suppose to buy the things that you would need to learn?"

"I have my own money Uncle it's with the goblin bank and guarded by dragons."

"Bleeding goblins and dragons, go get your money I'll wait here in the entrance."

Harry entered the imposing white marble building and proceeded to the nearest free goblin teller, a aquat green creature with a rather large head with large protruding ears and coupious amounts of hair sticking out of them.

"State your business human child."

"Good morning, I'm here to make a withdrawl from my safe."

"Of course you are. Why else would you be here." It wasn't a question more of a condesending snark of a remark.

"Of course right, sorry here is my key. Also ummm if I may ask. That is to mean I think you might know. Somewhere in the alley where I could you know purchase a weapon. A small sword or perhaps a dagger for self defense."

"OF course ask the cruel little goblin eh."

"I meant no offense just wondering if you would know seeing the guards over there so impressiely armed after all."

"They are several shops in Knockturn where you can purchase a pathetic human made blade boy."

"Pathetic? How so?"

"Weak metals, weak edge, weak craftmanship. More than enough for any human who requires it for decoration with no intent to ever draw it anger, or for a just cause."

Harry Potter bristled with aggitation. "I'll have you know I intent to learn how to use a quality blade, to fight my enemies. My cause is my continued survival in this harsh world I have been thrust into."

The blinked, once, twice, three times he blinked. His mind running a marathon behind his sharp eyes. 'The boy wishes to know how to fight. Hmm curious indeed. Who is he, what is his reasoning, the slaughter of magical creatures no dobut. Ha.'

"Out on a crusade are ya human, lets rid the world of vampires, werewolves, and maybe even the goblins."

"No sir, when I am older and capable, Voldemort will reutrn and he will come for me. I intend to meet him headon with blade and wand, I intend to win."

'Lighting bolt scar, hmm Harry Potter wants to fight the Dark Lord. Curious.'

"And when you win you shall lord over us all I suppose with your celebrity."

"No. I understnad you haven't been treated fairly. You should be."

More blinking from the creature. Then his black eyes glinted with mischeif. As goblin eyes are want to do.

"I shall take you to your vault myself boy, then we have another destination in mind, if you have the gold and the desire."

"Follow me."

Harry was surprised as the goblin left his post unmaned as he had never heard of before and followed him towards the rail carts across the bank. They hopped in the first available one and sped down into the depths of the bank. Screaming along the tracks to Harry's vault where the means to a better future awaited him.

"Here we are."

Harry jumped from the cart and filled his money bags for a day of great spending, investment into his future as he had taken to calling it.

Another long ride later during which, Harry truly saw the dragons of Grinngotts for the first time, and many more magical beasts he couldn't put a name to gaurding the wizarding vaults. Finally after an age they stopped in front of an open cavern. With thick smoke spewing from within it.

"Follow me, and keep your hands to yourself unless you wish to lose them boy."

He did as he was told by this strange little goblin. After another long walk they reached a great furnace where several goblins worked hard on smithing new weapons, jewelery, and whatever else entered their greedy little minds.

"Ragsmith, this boy needs a goblin sword yesterday work hard."

That was all he said, and then the largest goblin Harry had ever seen proceeded to measure and weigh him. It was worse then when he got his wand the previous year. Ragsmith ran off and began to work like a goblin possesed with great purpose. For an hour he steadly and quickly worked on his assigned task. Then finally when he seemed done he walked back to Harry grabbed his arm and sliced it with the back of a cruel looking hammer.

"What the bloody hell was that? Why did you do that?"

"We are bonding your sword to you so no other may draw it from any scabbard."

Again that was all he said short, simple, and to the point as always. As he had been for centuries.

Then Ragsmith returned with an exquisite black blade set upon a hilt of silver, with red flowing runes hammered into it. Upon closer inspection Harry relised that it was blood, and he knew in his heart that it was his own. This was goblin magic and craftmanship at its finest.

They turned and left without a word, no here you go, or thank you, just up and left and returned to the top of the bank. It was then and only then Harry bested the wonder within his mind with his new sword strapped to his side.

"I don't know how to thank, surely no one else has a sword so fine. Take whatever the price is from my account and send a statement."

"No one else does have anything quite like that not anymore, that shows you as an ally of the goblin nation, never forget, never forgive. Your charge is that, if someday you are in power remember your words that we are treated unjustly, and that will be your payment for this."

"Anything to win master goblin."

"Too true Mr. Potter, yes I knew you the moment you entered, and my name is not goblin, Riptide boy."

"Until the next visit Riptide."


End file.
